Y2K (2024), directed by Kyle Mooney, stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, Kyle Moodey, Eduardo Franco, Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi, Lauren Balone, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Fred Durst. The film follows Eli (Martell) and Danny (Dennison), two high school “losers” who set out to attend their grade’s 1999 New Year’s Eve party so Eli can attempt to woo the girl of his dreams, Laura (Zegler). When the clock strikes midnight, everyone’s worst fears about the new millennium are proven right when computers become sentient and attempt to take violent revenge on the humans who’ve only ever used them as tools to fulfill their petty, animalistic desires. Joining forces with various classmates they would have otherwise never interacted with, the friends attempt to reverse the apocalypse before it’s too late. 

Although the three leads feel well-cast for this kind of movie, the script unfortunately doesn’t do much to distinguish their characters from the typical teenage archetypes. Although the actors’ charismas are appealing, the characters themselves are as basic as they come. The supporting cast which consists of white rap rockers, bucket hat stoners, and 90s punks is thankfully a ton of fun. Unfortunately, the script also struggles with the fact that some of its best characters are the first ones to be killed off. Because of this, the movie becomes less and less interesting as it goes along simply because the group we follow slowly becomes more generic as it moves along. Thankfully, this otherwise underwhelming third act is saved by the inclusion of one of the best cameos I’ve seen in a long time. It’s funny, specific, appropriate for the era, and meaningful to the plot. 

The film’s comedic style is often crude/juvenile in the vein of a film like Superbad (2007). The thing is, although the film is consistently chuckle-worthy, it’s never particularly “laugh out loud” funny. The jokes are extremely hit-and-miss and some of them will only appeal to those versed in 90s culture. That being said, the balance of comedy and horror feels uncommonly on point. I think this is because, unlike most comedy-horror films that end up prioritizing jokes over scares, Y2K isn’t afraid to go to some really dark/gory places. This may result in an experience that’s a bit more tonally niche for most viewers, but I don’t think it goes so far that it becomes inaccessible. Actually, this probably has wider appeal than anything A24 Studios has ever released.

I think what works so well about the movie despite its crude sensibilities and spotty comedic timing is that it has a real sense of creativity, originality, and fun. The story beats themselves aren’t particularly new, but the film feels tonally fresh and daring in the sense that it’s not trying to appeal to every kind of audience at once. It stinks that we live in an age where I have to consider that daring, but I do. It helps, as well, that the inclusion of 90s nostalgia feels heavily prevalent but never gimmicky or distracting. I think that this is because, unlike the 70s or 80s, the 90s hasn’t yet been overused as a setting. 

Overall, the film is a mixed-bag experience in the sense that the comedy and characters could be better. Still, it works in terms of delivering 90s nostalgia and scares that are the perfect balance between brutal and silly. I can’t recommend it to everyone, but I see a certain audience adopting this as a midnight movie cult classic. It’s not big-brained, but it sure is fun. B-